X-Rays Spex

A Below Average Rays Fan Blog

Rays 3/15/19 pre-game notes; Duffy and Pham progress

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  • Mike Zunino hit a home run in Thursday’s game against the Phillies. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Another day, another split-squad game. This time the Tampa Bay Rays will host the Detroit Tigers this afternoon, and visit the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton this evening. Kevin Cash is planning to manage both. Tampa Bay is coming off a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies which snapped their three-game win streak.

Emilio Pagan opened Thursday’s ballgame and was pleased with the results after he threw two scoreless frames. Pagan gave up one hit, walked none, and struck out a batter. He spoke about being used an opener following his outing.

I figured now’s the time to play with it, see what works for me. I didn’t feel like it was too much of a difference, maybe just playing catch a little bit longer before I got on the mound than I would in a relief role. I felt like it probably worked a little bit better than just jumping straight to the mound like I did in Sarasota (on February 26, when he walked one and gave up four hits). There’s going to be some playing around with it, but I like the way today went as far as the preparation getting ready for the open.

— Emilio Pagan

Diego Castillo followed Pagan and gave up one run on two hits. Yet, Castillo also stuck out four of the eight batters he faced. Right-hander Cole Sulser — acquired from Cleveland in the Jake Bauers trade — followed Castillo and struck out four of the six batters he faced across 1-1/3 innings of work.

The New What Next

Ryne Stanek will open against the Tigers, pitching opposite of Spencer Turnbull. Jalen Beeks, Austin Pruitt, Chaz Roe, and Mike Franco also are expected to pitch as well. Wilmer Font will start for the Rays in Bradenton, pitching opposite of Joe Musgrove. Andrew Kittredge, Olive Drake, Adam Kolarek, Luis Santos, and Ricardo Pinto all are expected to pitch as well.

Rays 3/15/19 Starting Lineup vs. Detroit

  1. Robertson SS
  2. Pham DH
  3. Wendle 3B
  4. Diaz 1B
  5. Garcia RF
  6. Kiermaier CF
  7. Zunino C
  8. Bonifacio 2B
  9. Smolinski LF
  10. Stanek RHP

Rays 3/15/19 Starting Lineup vs. Pittsburgh

  1. Meadows RF
  2. Adames SS
  3. Choi DH
  4. B. Lowe 1B
  5. Heredia CF
  6. Perez C
  7. Coats LF
  8. Wong 2B
  9. Brosseau 3B

Noteworthiness

— Matt Duffy (hamstring), who has been sidelined since February 28, will hit in live batting practice against Brent Honeywell and Jose De Leon. Duffy still plans to take ground balls Sunday and remains optimistic he will be ready for the March 28 opener. Meanwhile, Honeywell and De Leon will throw live BP for the second time since undergoing Tommy John surgery.

— Blake Snell will pitch in a minor league game on Saturday.

— Tommy Pham has progressed in a strengthening program (he has been limited to DH because of shoulder concerns) and is slated to return to left-field by the middle of next week.

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Rays 3/14/19 pre-game notes

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  • Mr. WAR, Joey Wendle, started a gem of a 4-6-3 double play against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, in Dunedin. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After an off-day on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Rays will resume their Grapefruit League schedule on Thursday, with just two weeks left before Opening Day. The Rays will play the first of three consecutive home games, facing the Phillies who they beat on Monday, 8-2. Tampa Bay won three straight going into the off-day.

Not everyone had Wednesday off. Tyler Glasnow and Jose Alvarado threw in a minor league game against the Twins affiliate in Ft. Myers. Glasnow tossed 3-1/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing three hits and two walks while fanning six. The right-hander threw 36 of 61 pitches for strikes (59% strike rate). Yet, Alvarado did not fare nearly as well, throwing just 2/3 of an inning and giving up a run on two hits. He struck out two. Alvarado threw 13 of 22 pitches for strikes (59% strike rate).

The Rays enter play with 49 players on the Spring roster — a number that will be further reduced this week. Manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) he will start locking in on a core group of players, beginning today.

The New What Next

Reliever Emilio Pagan, who has had an impressive Spring, will open the game for Tampa Bay, pitching opposite of Drew Anderson. Also scheduled to throw for Tampa Bay are Diego Castillo, Colin Poche, Cole Sulser, Mike Franco, and Ricardo Pinto. The Phillies will be playing with a split-squad roster, and because of it, they are not likely to bring many name players…such as Bryce Harper.

Rays 3/14/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Zunino C
  2. Meadows LF
  3. Pham DH
  4. Choi 1B
  5. Garcia RF
  6. Diaz 3B
  7. Adames SS
  8. Robertson 2B
  9. J. Lowe CF
  10. Pagan RHP

Noteworthiness

— Matt Duffy (hamstring) told Topkin he’s feeling good, but there is still no set day for his return to the field

The plan is to play when I play.

— Matt Duffy

He will run at 70% today and should start taking ground balls on Sunday. Duffy and the team remain optimistic that he will be ready for Opening Day.

— On Wednesday, Fox Sports Sun officially announced that all 162 Rays games will be televised this season.

  • (Photo Credit: Fox Sports Sun)

Dewayne Staats will be back for his 22nd season as the play-by-play voice of the Rays alongside Brian Anderson. Kevin Burkhardt will fill in for Staats for “a package of games,” which will be roughly 20.

Additionally, Fox Sports Sun will produce three supplemental shows: Rays Inside Pitch, Rays Prospect Spotlight and Rays All-Access.

According to the network’s press release, the Inside Pitch show will include player profiles with unique insights and interviews, plus episodes offering inside access to other aspects of the team and its operations. The Prospect Spotlight show will tell the stories of the players in the pipeline and their minor league affiliate teams. And All-Access will take on various topics with the main focus of showcasing content through behind-the-scenes experiences as players, coaches and staff participate in activities ranging from special events to the routine of game days. 

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Blake Snell sharp in Rays 8-2 win over the Phillies

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  • Moments before Blake Snell fanned Bryce Harper in a 1-2-3 bottom of the first. (Photo Credit: Anthony Ateek/X-Rays Spex)

Blake Snell put together his sharpest outing of the Grapefruit League season on Monday in the Tampa Bay Rays 8-2 win over Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Snell, who sought to bounce back from a poor outing against USF, threw 27 total pitches for (19 for strikes, 70% strike rate), and fanned two. His two-inning outing came against the Phillies “A” hitters, including Bryce Harper, who Snell caught looking on an inside fastball at 96 mph.

https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/1105161887019421696

That fastball was set up by a filthy 82 mph curveball which Harper swung over.

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1105159579933892608

Snell credited to the entire Phillies lineup, including the $330-million man, for bringing out the best in him.

That whole lineup is tough. I don’t really key in on a guy. It’s a lefty, it’s a righty, is who I focus on. I’ve got to attack the zone. They’re going to do what they do, I’m going to do what I do, so I really don’t care who’s hitting. That lineup is nasty.

— Blake Snell

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner also said it was good to face a challenge at this point in the spring.

It’s a lot easier to get ready because if you don’t, they are going to make you pay for it. No one likes to get embarrassed. (This week) taught me a lot, I’m a lot better, which I needed, which is awesome. And to come here to get it going again, to get the focus going, cause that’s when I’m at my best, when I’m focused.

— Blake Snell

The Rays employed a four-man outfield against Harper, which they also used previously against Chris Davis and Justin Smoak. Third baseman Kean Wong moved to left field, leaving shortstop Willy Adames to man the left side of the infield when the southpaw-hitting Harper stepped into the batter’s box.

Kean played left field, it makes it easiest. Why not have less movement, just go straight out to left and have Willy stay up the middle?

— Kevin Cash

Cash continued by saying that particular shift is something that will be done based on the in the game personell.

If Duffy gets healthy and he’s accustomed to playing the outfield, then he might go out there. We’ll have more thought that goes into it once the season starts. Right now let’s get the bodies out there and get everybody the reps and see it.

— Kevin Cash

Kevin Kiermaier understood the reasoning behind the shift.

It’s our job to do what they tell us to do, I understand where they’re coming from. It’s one of those things where we know we’re taking a risk if we make a play we wouldn’t have with three outfielders we’ll look like geniuses, and other times where, you know, guys hit ground balls to a certain spot where if we had the regular alignment it’s not going to look so great. Everything we do out there is all for a purpose and you hope that those guys who we do play the four-man outfield against that they hit it where we think it’s going to go more times than not. That’s the whole reasoning why. And those guys we do it against we’re okay with giving up a single because Justin Smoak, Chris Davis, Bryce Harper — the guys we’ve done it against — we’re okay with them hitting singles, we just don’t want them beating us with their strength hitting the ball in the air…

— Kevin Kiermaier

Wilmer Font, who is battling for a long relief/bulk inning job, had his longest outing of the Spring, posting 1-2/3 scoreless innings. Yonny Chirinos entered after Font and posted a strong performance, striking out four across 2-1/3 innings of work. The right-hander lit-up the in-house radar gun, hitting 97 mph with his fastball.

Offensively, both Avisail Garcia and Brandon Lowe continued their torrid Spring campaigns.

Garcia launched his second homer in as many days, and the third of the Spring.

Lowe walked and scored on Garcia’s first-inning sacrifice fly. An inning later, Lowe blasted a bases-loaded two-run double to right that nearly was a grand slam.  

https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1105176666203144194

Lowe now has six doubles (eight extra base hits), 13 RBI, and is slashing .464 BA/.516 OBP/.893 SLG/1.454 OPS on the Spring.

Kevin Cash told Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) he was pleased with the pitching, and the complete effort in Clearwater on Monday.

The New What Next

The Rays will visit the Blue Jays on Tuesday. Ryan Merritt will start for Tampa Bay, pitching opposite of Aaron Sanchez. Hunter Wood, Ryne Stanek, Oliver Drake, Hoby Milner, and Adam Kolarek also are expected to pitch in Dunedin.

Rays 3/12/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows RF
  2. Pham DH
  3. Choi 1B
  4. Diaz 3B
  5. Wendle 2B
  6. Robertson SS
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Heredia LF
  9. James C
  10. Merritt RHP

Noteworthiness

— Cash still doesn’t have a timetable on when Matt Duffy will be available, conceding that the third baseman may start the season on the injured list.

I don’t want to say that’s he’s going to be; I don’t want to limit him, so I’ll wait. Probably next Monday we’ll get a better sense. Obviously time is becoming crucial.

— Kevin Cash

— Outfielder Tommy Pham will be the designated hitter this afternoon and could return to the outfield by the weekend.

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Rays hammer Sox, 8-1; cut 10 from Spring roster

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  • Looking forward to seeing Blake Snell strikeout Bryce Harper in Clearwater this afternoon.

The Tampa Bay Rays optioned or reassigned eight more players on Sunday, reducing the team’s Spring Training roster to 49.

Catcher Nick Ciuffo, pitchers Jake Faria and Andrew Moore, and INF/OF Andrew Velazquez were optioned to Minor League camp. Faria, who has put together a strong showing this Spring after performing to a 5.40 ERA across 65 injury marred innings last season, was the most surprising move.

Rays Manager Kevin Cash was encouraged by what he saw out of the right-hander, however, he explained to Faria that optioning him to AAA would give him the opportunity to be stretched out further.

It’s time for him to get on a routine; it’s not the easiest thing to do the routine here. And get him stretched out. The message was very similar to the message when he came in (to camp): how highly we think of him, what he’s capable of. We want to do everything we can to assist him (in) getting back to that 2017 form.

It’s going to take some time, but he did he did show really well for us in spring training, which was encouraging.

— Kevin Cash

Faria, who had been optimistic about breaking camp with the team, told Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) Sunday morning that he would be disappointed by such a move, however, he acknowledged that he knows he will eventually return as long as he respects the process.

Obviously I’d be disappointed just because you spend almost two years in the big leagues and then you go back to Triple A, but guys have done it. I’d still have a job, so that’s one thing. We’ll have to see. I’d be kind of bummed out. … But I know if I keep doing what I’m doing I’ll be back eventually.

— Jake Faria

Four non-rostered players were also reassigned to the Minor Leagues, pitchers Ian Gardeck and Tyler Cloyd, infielder Jake Cronenworth, and IF/OF Nick Solak. Cloyd is the lone player of the bunch with big league experience.

In Grapefruit League action, Tampa Bay homered six times, including a tape-measure blast from Avisail Garcia, and two from Guillermo Heredia, in the 8-1 win over the reigning World Series champions. Tampa Bay has won both meetings against Boston this Spring.

Garcia’s homer off Hector Velazquez had a distance at 464 feet according to Trackman data. The homer was also measured at 111 mph off the bat, and at a 35-degree launch angle.

Garcia, who is coming off knee surgery, said he feels good thus far.

I’ve been feeling great, working really hard, My knee is healthy, that’s the most important thing. I’ve just got to keep working, and do my thing. It was a hard off-season, trying to rehab and get better every day. Coming in like this, how I feel right now, it’s amazing.

— Avisail Garcia

Casey Sadler opened the game and was followed by seven other pitchers — including Colin Poche, Diego Castillo, Jose Alvarado, and Ryne Stanek — that allowed just five hits.

In spite of a difficult Spring for Poche, the southpaw showed well after he allowed a leadoff walk, coaxing a double-play grounder and a fly-ball out.

The New What Next

Tampa Bay will open a two-day north Pinellas County trek today in Clearwater, where they will face the $330-million man Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies. Rays Cy Young award winner Blake Snell will get the start for the Rays. Yonny Chirinos, Jalen Beeks, and Wilmer Font — three candidates for long relief/bulk inning jobs — are also scheduled to pitch.

Rays 3/11/19 Starting Lineup

  1. B. Lowe 2B
  2. Adames SS
  3. Kiermaier CF
  4. Garcia RF
  5. N. Lowe 1B
  6. Zunino C
  7. Coats LF
  8. Wong 3B
  9. Smolinski DH
  10. Snell LHP

Noteworthiness

— Cash told the media Sunday there was no update on third baseman Matt Duffy (hamstring), except that he will be out at least a few more days.

— Per Topkin, Tommy Pham, who was planning for a week of DH-only duty to work on strengthening his shoulder, was scratched from Sunday’s lineup but said he plans to be back Tuesday. Cash said the shoulder “is not bouncing back maybe like he wanted it to” and will take “two days off of nothing.” Pham said he expects to be back in the outfield by the end of the week.

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Rays reduce roster by 10; 3/10/19 pregame notes

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  • Christian Arroyo was one of 10 players cut from the Spring roster on Saturday. (Photo Credit: The Ray Tank https://raytank.mlblogs.com)

Prior to Saturday’s contest against the Orioles, the Tampa Bay Rays made their first cuts of the Spring, reducing their roster by 10. The Rays optioned five players to the Minor League camp and reassigned five others. The Rays now have 57 players left in camp.

The Rays’ Spring roster now includes 31 pitchers, five catchers, 14 infielders and seven outfielders.

The five players optioned were infielder Christian Arroyo, who would be among the candidates to take Matt Duffy’s place on the active roster if he is not ready to start the season; hurlers Ian Gibaut and Brent Honeywell; and outfielders Joe McCarthy and Jesus Sanchez. It should be noted that Gibaut, Honeywell, and McCarthy are all coming back from injury.

Rays manager Kevin Cash spoke of Arroyo in superlatives, saying:

Given what he went through last year with his injury, it’s time to get him down (to Triple-A) and get him some consistent reps. Christian handled the conversation really, really well. We still think highly of him.

— Kevin Cash

Honeywell is eyeing a late May return to active duty, and could make an impact on the big-league roster as early as June.

Five players were reassigned to the minors: infielder Lucius Fox, reliever Matt Krook, pitcher Dalton Moats, catcher David Rodriguez, and reliever Curtis Taylor. All of whom were invited to big-league camp

The New What Next

After a wild 17-15 contest against Baltimore, the Rays are back in action at home where they will face the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. Casey Sadler will get the start for Tampa Bay. Ryan Yarbrough — who missed time with groin tightness — Jose Alvarado, Diego Castillo, Emilio Pagan and Ryne Stanek also are expected to pitch.

Rays 3/10/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows LF
  2. Zunino DH
  3. Choi 1B
  4. Garcia RF
  5. Wendle 2B
  6. Diaz 3B
  7. Robertson SS
  8. Perez C
  9. Heredia CF
  10. Sadler RHP

Noteworthiness

— Brandon Lowe continued his strong Spring campaign on Saturday, going 2-for-3, including a mammoth 448-foot home run off Dylan Bundy in the second inning.

The homer matched the distance of the one hit by Nate Lowe during the February 27 game against the Red Sox.

That was the first thing I asked when I got into the dugout. I found (Nate) and I asked who’s went further. He laughed and of course said his, so I had to believe him.

— Brandon Lowe

Lowe is now hitting .462 with two home runs this Spring.

— Keon Wong also went yard, hitting one of seven total homers on Saturday.

https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/1104490536591867904
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